Active Probing of a RuO/CZ Catalyst Surface as a Tool for Bridging the Gap Between CO Oxidation Catalytic Tests in a Model and Realistic Exhaust Gas Stream.

Herein, we present a paper that attempts to bridge the gap between CO oxidation catalytic tests performed in a model stream and a more realistic exhaust gas stream by incorporating characterization methods that allow for active probing of the catalyst surface. The results have shown that it is not just the abundance of a given type of species on the surface that impacts the activity of a system but also the ease of extraction of ions from their surface (time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry) and the response of the support to change in the feed composition (dynamic in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) with variable atmosphere). The study utilizes the method of doping a catalyst (RuO/CZ) with a small amount of alkali-metal (K or Na) carbonates in order to slightly modify its surface to gain insight into parameters that may cause discrepancies between model stream activity and complex stream activity.